WRESTLING
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Senior co-captain Matt Kyler of Clearfield earned another special niche in Army wrestling history last week when he and classmate Richard Starks were named co-winners of the Mike Natvig Award at the 2009-10 team banquet.
Established in 1973 in the memory of the 1963 graduate who was an NCAA champion, the top annual award goes to the outstanding Black Knight wrestler.
Sharing the honor with Starks for the second season in a row is a fitting conclusion to Kyler’s outstanding career.
He joins Phillip Simpson (2002-05) as the only four-time winners of the award after wrestling his way into Army’s record book.
Kyler departs with Black Knight records for wins in a season (43) and career (146).
A second Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association title and a fourth trip to the NCAAs were the highlights of the 2008 All-American’s final season.
The three-time All-Academy Championships winner also claimed his fourth New York State Championships crown and finished 32-5 at 149 pounds.
In addition to the Natvig Award, Kyler was the recipient of the Arvin Memorial Award which goes to a member of the senior class distinguished in leadership, scholarship and commitment to the Army wrestling.
That award, first given out in 1985, honors Bob Arvin, a 1965 graduate who was the Brigade Commander as well as wrestling team captain as a senior.
Starks, a three-time national qualifier, was 26-4 at 197 pounds for a 105-25 career record.
Co-captain Ryan Mergen received the “Mr. Intensity” Award, which honors legendary coach LeRoy Alitz, for the second time in three years.
Kyler, Starks, Mergen and Lance Penhale were recognized as member of the senior class.
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MEN’S TRACK & FIELD
WHEELING, W.Va. – Junior John Bowman of Clearfield broke the Penn State-Behrend hammer throw record for the third time this spring with a heave of 129 feet, 3 inches (39.39 meters) that was good for third place in the Carnegie Mellon Invitational at Gesling Stadium Saturday.
His previous best was 121-7 (37.07m) at the Coastal Carolina Invitational March 12.
Bowman also established a new personal-best when he hurled the javelin 174-6 (53.20m) for his first win of the season.
He was fourth in the discus with a 119-3 (36.20m) for a 19-point day that was instrumental in the Lions besting 204-195.50 for first place in the four-team meet.
Michael Johnson, also a junior from Clearfield, contributed eight points in two individual events and also was a member of two relay foursomes picked up 13 points for third-place finishes.
Johnson cleared 5 feet, 10-3/4 inches (1.80m) in the high jump for fourth place and was sixth in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:01.31.
He anchored the 4×100 quartet’s 44.82-second effort and ran the third leg on the 4×400 team that posted a season-best 3:29.52.
Running exhibition, freshman Grier Walker of Clearfield wound up 14th in the 800 in 2:08.45.
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BASEBALL
BRADFORD – Senior right fielder Bart McGary of Curwensville continues to swing a hot bat for Pitt-Bradford, remaining a member of the .400 Club with eight hits in seven games last week.
He singled twice and doubled in a 10-inning, 14-13 win over Juniata, singled twice in a 10-8 victory over D’Youville (N.Y.) and singled home both runs in an 8-2 loss to Mount Aloysius.
McGary leads the 12-13 Panthers in average (.400), hits (36), total bases (48), RBIs (36) and sacrifice flies (4), is second in runs (22) and is tied for second in walks (8).
Senior catcher Phil Solley of Grampian also had a big game against Juniata with three hits and three RBIs.
He finished the week with five hits and six RBIs in five games.
Solley is hitting .352 (25-for-71) with 24 RBIs, tied for second on the team.
Freshman pitcher Ben McGary of Curwensville worked in relief against Juniata and Keuka (N.Y.).
In two and a third innings, the left-hander allowed four hits and seven runs, only two of which were earned.
He has a 5.40 ERA with nine strikeouts and nine walks for 16.2 innings in 11 appearances.
Pitt-Bradford is 5-5 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference after sweeping D’Youville and splitting with Mount Aloysius.
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SLIPPERY ROCK – Junior shortstop Adam Jury of Bigler enjoyed a .500 week at the plate with eight hits, including his first home run of the season, as Slippery Rock won four of six games.
The Rock’s clean-up hitter raised his batting average 27 points to .289.
Jury drove in a run in five games and is tied for the team lead with 24 RBIs.
The Clearfield Area High School graduate is second in at-bats (131), third in runs (24) and fifth in hits (35). His five sacrifice flies also lead The Rock.
Slippery Rock (18-18) split a non-conference doubleheader with Seton Hill before taking three of four games from Lock Haven to remain in contention for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference playoff spot. The Rock is tied for fourth place in the Western Division at 8-8.
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ERIE – Junior Kyle Kline of Clearfield appeared in five games at first base while freshman Michael Moyer of Clearfield made his second start in a busy week for Penn State-Behrend.
The 15-9 Lions swept their only Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference action against Pitt-Greensburg 18-2 and 3-0 to remain tied for first place with Frostburg (Md.) State at 6-2.
Two of their four non-conference losses were to nationally-ranked Wooster (Ohio) 2-1 and 15-8 Sunday.
Moyer was tagged with the 10-3 loss to Allegheny at Meadville on Wednesday, working 4-2/3 innings and giving up four hits and four earned runs. He struck out one and walked six.
The right-hander is 1-1 with a 4.66 earned run average.
Kline was hitless in five at-bats, and his season average tumbled to .225.
He’s 9-for-40 with three doubles eight RBIs in 18 games, 12 as a starter and has a .975 fielding average for 119 chances.
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SOFTBALL
LOCK HAVEN – Junior first baseman Brittany Pataky of Clearfield singled twice and scored a run in Sunday’s 10-3 victory over Mansfield, Lock Haven’s lone win in four Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Central Division games last week.
The 16-15 Lady Eagles, who lost the nightcap 7-6, were swept 3-0 and 6-2 by No. 6-ranked Bloomsburg Friday as their 83-game Lawrence Field winning streak came to an end.
Pataky had one hit in the 5-2 and 2-0 non-conference wins at Millersville Wednesday.
In 30 games, 27 as a starter, she is 25-for-88 for a .284 average that ranks fourth on the team. She is third in hits, at-bats and RBIs (11) and fourth in runs (9).
She has only two errors in 203 chances.
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WILLIAMSPORT – Freshman Holly Lansberry of Curwensville was 1-2 in three pitching starts and had a pair of two-hit games at the plate for Lycoming last week.
She four-hit Scranton for the 8-20 Lady Warriors’ only win in six games.
Lansberry, who also singled and doubled, recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts and walked three in her fifth victory in 14 decisions. The Scranton run was unearned.
She suffered losses against Widener 5-3 and Susquehanna 5-0, fanning 11 and walking six while surrendering 15 hits and seven earned runs in the complete games.
Lansberry has pitched 79.1 innings in 15 appearances, all but one as a starter. She has a 3.62 earned run average with 53 strikeouts and 40 walks.
She singled twice and walked one as the designated hitter in a 5-1 loss to Widener, and her .364 batting average ranks in the top 25 in the Commonwealth Conference.
She is 16-for-44 with four doubles and four RBIs.
Freshman catcher Ashley Demchak of Curwensville is hitting .265 (9-for-34) after registering one single in seven at-bats in three games.
The Lady Warriors are 2-6 in the conference.
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ALTOONA – A trio of two-hit games last week hiked Penn State-Altoona second baseman Alanna Luzier’s average 25 points to .269.
Against visiting Medaille (N.Y.) on Saturday, the sophomore from Frenchville drove in three runs with a single and double and added two singles in the second game as the 9-12 Lady Lions swept their Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference rival 14-4 and 9-2.
She also singled twice in the first game of 11-6 and 9-8 losses to AMCC front-runner Mount Aloysius Wednesday.
The Lady Lions dropped a twinbill at Pitt-Bradford 10-2 and 12-3 Sunday for a 4-6 conference record.
Freshman Jenessa Stiles of Curwensville started in right field against Medaille and Pitt-Bradford, rapping three singles in five-at bats to jump her average from .190 to .269 (7-for-26).
Luzier is 18-for-67 with four doubles, one home run and six RBIs. She has scored 14 runs.
